Neil Aronson Family Friendly Chiang Mai is one of the best destinations in Thailand for families with kids of all ages. It combines lots of activities for kids, ancient temples, mountain scenery, ethical elephant experiences, easy day trips, and excellent food in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
Having many local nieces and nephews around gives us some great advice on where the local kids love to go and eat. And since we are always exploring this great area, we continually find perfect places for kids to have fun, get educated, and to stay.
The cooler northern climate and slower pace make it especially comfortable for traveling with children. And getting around and out of town is fairly easy to explore fun places outside of the city and around the mountains. Kids love the waterfalls, animal parks, and fun adventure activities outside the city.
Travel Packs
A must have for your laptop, camera gear, valuables, extra clothes
Why Chiang Mai Is Great for Families
- Safe and easy to navigate.
- Friendly local culture that warmly welcomes children.
- Affordable hotels and family suites.
- Diverse activities for toddlers, kids, and teens.
- Great balance of education, adventure, and relaxation.
- Access to waterfalls, mountains, and wildlife.
- Shop for anything your family needs.
- Medical Care is excellent and convenient.
- Any Food you want is available.
Parents on travel forums frequently describe Chiang Mai as one of the easiest and most rewarding places in Southeast Asia to visit with children.
Resources
Agoda is the best place to book cheap affordable hotels in Thailand, especially near national parks. They also book flights as well.
Expedia is my favorite place to book flights, hotels, cars, and more. Their group includes Hotels.com and Vrbo for vacation rentals.
Viator is the top choice for activities. Book everything from a temple tour to scuba diving, jungle trekking to cooking classes.
12Go is the top transportation source for Asia. From busses to trains to regional flights.
Air Asia is the top regional discount airlines for Thailand and all Southeast Asia. Book from Chiang Mai to just about everywhere.
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Essential Tips
- Avoid Burning Season: Schedule your trip outside of late February through April, when agricultural burning causes heavy smoke.
- Ditch the Stroller: Chiang Mai’s sidewalks are uneven and crowded. Bring a baby carrier instead for easier navigation.
- Temple Etiquette: Always pack a long scarf or sarong. Both women and children must have their shoulders and knees covered when entering sacred sites.
- Pacing: Limit activities to one main event per morning, spending the afternoons relaxing by the pool to help kids recover from the heat.
- Paying For Things: If you want to use cash, bring new bills ($100) and exchange in the city. Don’t exchange in your home country, you will get a much better rate in Thailand. Credit Cards are accepted almost anywhere now except at street markets. Make sure you have not foreign transaction fees. Wise is also a card we use to pay and transfer money.
- Visa Requirements: Many countries can enter on what is called a Visa Exempt entry. Recently this has been changed back to 30 days. For longer stays you will need a Visa. Check the Official GovernmentThai Visa website for your requirements.
- Get A VPN: Not Only for internet security, but a way to stream TV from your home country. There are three main uses for a VPN when traveling: security, particularly when using public Wi-Fi, streaming to catch up with shows from your home country, and accessing home services that are inaccessible abroad, such as online banking. Nord is our top Choice I use every day.
- Get Travel Insurance! You never know what could happen, especially when traveling with kids. AXA is one of the more popular choices.
🚕 Getting Around
- Songthaews & Tuk-Tuks: For short hops, these red trucks and auto-rickshaws are cheap and exciting for kids. Always agree on the price before hopping in.
- Grab App: Use the ride-hailing app Grab (Southeast Asia’s Uber) for fixed, transparent pricing. It removes the need to haggle and is great for getting back to your hotel after a long day.
Fun Family-Friendly Attractions And Spots
Pongyang Jungle Coaster Zipline Camp & Resort (Mae Rim/Mon Jam) is an extremely popular place for kids and families. Getting there is a little bit of a drive however as it is located on the mountain on the way up to Mon Jam.
Phoenix Adventure Park (Mae Rim) for all ages, High rope courses and Zipline where they have 2 programs and up to 24 platforms that you can choose for a family-friendly adventure.
X-Centre (Mae Rim) is down the road from the butterflies, and is an extreme sports complex for off roading. So for more older kids, but they do have younger activities like Go-Kart, Mini Golf, and Mini ATV.
Bai Orchid & Butterfly Farm (Mae Rim) is fun for all ages, and kids really love seeing all the different butterflies.
Bua Tong Sticky Waterfalls (Mae Taeng) is super fun for kids. It is a naturally “sticky” waterfall where the unique texture of the rocks allows kids to climb up and down safely.
Elephant Poopoopaper Park: A quirky, eco-friendly, and hands-on museum where kids learn how to make paper products out of—you guessed it—elephant dung.
Montha Than Waterfall (Doi Suthep) is smaller but beautiful and easy to access from the city. This is a fun waterfall for kids.
Huay Kaew Waterfall (also spelled Huay Keaw) is the closest major waterfall to central Chiang Mai, located at the base of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. It’s only about 6 km from the Old City, making it one of the easiest natural attractions to visit without leaving town.
Chiang Mai Zoo & Aquarium is located at the bottom of Doi Suthep and is easy to access from the Old City or Nimman areas. The Zoo and Aquarium is Thailand’s oldest zoo and a favorite with visiting families.
Chiang Mai Night Safari (Hang Dong) is another zoo that stays open late. Kids will be fascinated to see animals up close and at night. You can see how animals such as tigers, rhinos, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, wildebeests, and giraffes behave after dark.
The Grand Canyon Water Park (Hang Dong) caters to everyone’s needs and to those of all ages. This family day out will be full of adventure and trying new things, while inter-mixed with relaxation for parents and grandparents too.
Cooking Classes are a great way for your kids to have fun and be educated as well. Bring your older kids along to a Thai cooking class, where they can learn about the culture and new skills.
Waterfalls Of Doi Inthanon National Park. Kids will love the amazing large waterfalls of this park. With easy access for viewing and facilities for all.
Where To Stay
Great Areas for Families
- Old City — best for temples, walking, markets, cafés.
- Riverside — quieter atmosphere and upscale resorts.
- Nimman — modern cafés, malls, convenience for families.
- Mae Rim — mountain scenery and resort stays. About 45 minutes from the city center.
City Center
Eurena Boutique Hotel (Old City Kid Friendly) The entire property was recently remodeled. It is one of the better values, in fact it is strangely inexpensive for what it is. It sits between Soi 6 and Soi 7 in the old city, near great restaurants, coffee shop and bars.
Somwang Boutique House (Old City Kid Friendly) Small with nice outdoors and pool. Excellent walking location. Our standard room was very big. Staff is friendly. Only 2 parking spots.
Shangri-La: This large hotel boasts the biggest pool in the city, along with 277 guest rooms (designed in a modern Northern Thai style) and four places to eat. If you are looking for more of a Las Vegas style luxury hotels, then this might be for you.
The Shangri-La’s range of facilities makes it ideal for parents travelling with kids — there’s cartoon bedding for younger travelers, playpens, coloring sets, everything you need to feed/bathe a newborn, mini-bathrobes and slippers, a splash zone, kids’ club, and supervised creative activities run daily.
Meliá Chiang Mai: Modern hotel near the river and markets with family rooms and interconnecting options. Good balance of comfort, walkability, and value for families.
Marriott Chiang Mai (Riverside-Family Friendly) is a modern leisure and conference destination which sits in the pulsing heart of Chiang Mai’s bustling Night Bazaar District, a short walk from the Old City. One of the few high-rise hotels, it sits by Loy Kroh Road, your destination for late night nightlife if that is what your looking for.
Bodhi Serene (Kid Friendly-Old City) would be one of the best hotels Chiang Mai we have stayed at in the Old City. Incredible value for how nice it is. Great location to walk and friendly staff. The pool is beautiful, as are the grounds. The rooms are super nice. Could be considered luxury, but the price puts it in mid-range.
Smile Lanna Hotel (Old City): Best for traditional charm. A highly rated, culturally themed boutique hotel that offers a quiet retreat near historic temples with family-friendly rooms and a beautiful pool.
Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai (Mae Rim): Best for a luxury countryside escape. Located about 20-30 minutes north of the city, it features daily hands-on Thai cultural activities, a “La-On” Kids Club, and family bike rides through rice paddies.
Horizon Village and Resort (Doi Saket) There is so much to do here you might not even need to leave the resort. From multiple playgrounds, to a petting zoo, gardens, a hedge maze labyrinth, two swimming pools and so much more.
Where To Eat With Kids
Airniversary Camp and Cafe Ratchaphakinai Rd in Old Town. This is one of my favorite places to eat and hang out. Incredible treehouse atmosphere, with fantastic food variety from Thai to Wood Fired Pizza. Our nephews love the food and vibes. There are many options kids will like, and they will enjoy climbing around the ‘tree house’ like different levels.
Wooden Ville Kids Café is a family-friendly café and indoor playground in the Nonghoi area of Mueang Chiang Mai District, Thailand. Designed around high-quality wooden play structures, it combines a coffee shop and restaurant with a large, safe space where children can explore imaginative and physical activities while parents relax nearby.
Bear Hug Cafe’ is a whimsical, bear-themed coffee shop and dessert café located at 91/1 Kotchasarn Road in the Chang Khlan area of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Known for its signature 3D latte art featuring charming bear designs, it combines playful aesthetics with a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. The café has earned consistent praise for its creativity, service, and cozy ambiance.
Sunday walking street has a lot of choices. In fact the Sunday walking street on Rachadamnoen Rd is one of the best places to eat, with dozens of amazing vendors to choose from. And you won’t believe what you can get for just 60 baht. There are many fun snacks and items kids will love, plus they can watch it being made.
By Hand Pizza. They cook your woodfired pizza in a brick oven basically on the street. Highly recommend. If your kids want pizza, then this is fun local spot, where they cook your pizza out in the open so you can watch.
Smash Daddy’s Burgers is a spot kids will love for all their burger, milkshakes and other fried food needs. Located in Nimman area.
Breakfast Word is an amazing place in the old city. If your hotels does not offer free breakfast, this place will remind you of breakfast back home with a local twist.
